“I have to go. Dinner. Tomorrow,” I command and hang up.
Damn, Doc is too smart.
“You think he figured it out?” Mal asks.
“No,” I lie and storm away as Mal laughs behind me.
14
RORY
“Hart invited us to dinner tomorrow night,” Brendan says.
I sit up straighter, and I’m about to shout from the rooftops how excited I am to see him again, but then I remember that I’m mad at both of them.
“Oh. Did you say yes?”
“Yes,” he grumbles between clenched teeth.
“You sound really excited.”
“I don’t like that he asked for you to come.”
He’s trying to talk to me through my brother. Sneaky. I haven’t responded to him, but I’ve been jumping for my phone every morning and there’s always a good-morning message, and he calls at night to leave a voicemail. His low sexy voice has me shivering and listening to them on repeat.
“Why not?”
“Because I think he knows you have a crush on him.” He glares at me.
“What? I— That’s not… Um.”
“That’s what I thought.” He wipes a hand down his face. “Rory?—”
“Relax, Brendan,” I cut him off. “You told me he’s dangerous. I was just too dumb to see it.”
“Hey.” He turns me to him. “You’re not dumb.”
“You obviously think so,” I snap.
“What are you talking about?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?!”
Brendan’s face goes soft. “Rory.”
“Why would you do that?” I shout.
“The court system failed you, and they didn’t get into any trouble. What’s to stop them from doing it again?”
Violence breeds more violence, and I’m about to go commit some violence of my own!
“So you admit to it?”
“Yes. And I’m not sorry.”
“God, you fucking alpha males all think you know best.”
“Rory—”
